How does mutation contribute to genetic variation?

Answer 1

Think of it this way: When an animal is born with a deformity or mutation, sometimes that variation turns out to be beneficial for it's survival. Maybe it can reach farther, hold more in it's mouth, hold it's breath longer, move faster because of longer legs, etc.

Any mutation that allows a creature to live longer, be more attractive to the opposite sex or produce more offspring has the ability to modify the general characteristics of a region or group or species of animals over a long time. An animal that lives longer simply has MORE TIME to have sex and more opportunities to pass on it's traits. If an animal can defend itself better because of a variation, it will live longer. If an animal can get more food because of a longer tongue, bigger mouth, longer arms, stronger grip, etc. it will live longer. If an animal has more prominent features because of a deformity and it turns out to be attractive to the opposite sex, then they will have MORE sex and pass on their traits to MORE babies. Good mutation = more sex = more babies = more good mutations. Simple as that. Picture a family tree and imagine that characteristic passed along.

Answer 2

Mutations lead to genetic variation by producing random changes in an organism's genetic code.

This causes a different protein to be produced, or none at all. Usually has a negative effect, due to an important protein, e.g. an enzyme, not being produced, so the organism cannot do a certain thing (e.g. digest fats), occasionally makes an organism better able to survive (positive effect). This means that it is more likely to survive and pass the mutated (beneficial) gene on to it's offspring.

Answer 3

Variation means difference, As new members of a species are born they all tend to have slight differences from both their parents and from each other. these differences mean that we all apply ourselves in a different way to surviving in our environment, It follows then that those that are born with a difference that makes them somehow more successful will survive more easily and breed, strengthening the difference. this is evolution.

Answer 4

Mutations serve up variation to natural selection that causes differential survival and reproductive success. The mutations must also be in the germ line to be heritable. This then fulfills the definition of evolution; the change in allele frequency over time in a population of organisms.

Answer: Mutations do not cause evolution directly but were postulated as a possible source of genetic variation to ennable natural selection to have material to work changes in organisms. This mechanism of variation was seen as vital to evolution from the time that the implications of genetics as discovered by Mendel was realised.

Unfortunately for evolution, there has never been discovered a single example of a mutation adding new genetic information (although occasionally mutations are beneficial, which is not always the same thing). Richard Dawkins was asked about this very issue in an interview and could not provide one single example of an information-adding mutation. This is no small problem for their is a staggering amount of new information necessary to be written into the DNA to change a microbe into a microbiologist (for example).

Actually mutations are universally shown to be causing genetic degradation in all multicellular life, In humans this is believed conservatively to amount to 100 new mutations per person per generation. Mostly these mutations are small such that natural selection does not 'see' them to eliminate them and so they accumulate in the genome of mankind like rust on a car. The rate of mutation which we observe today would lead to the extinction of the entire human race in a much shorter period of time than is commonly realised. This knowledge led one evolutionary geneticist to ask 'why are we not all dead already?'

According to geneticist Dr John Sandford, from Cornell University, there is close to unanimous agreement among geneticists regarding human genetic degradation, even though most continue to believe in evolution. Sandford cites recent papers by geneticists such as Muller, Noal, Kondrashov, Nachmann/Crowell, Walker/Keightley, Crow, Lynch et al, Howell, Loewe and Sandford himself (in print). Sandford highlights Loewe's contention in a paper published in 2010 (in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Science) that there is a fitness decline of between 3-5% per generation. Sandford himself from his modeling believes it is not as dire. Another geneticist, Robert Carter, points out that the key issue is not that there are no beneficial mutations but that the deleterious ones are so subtle that they are not selected against, and so the net effect is downhill, and therefore mutations can be seen not to cause evolution.

Answer 5

Mutations, gene flow and sex are the primary sources of genetic variation which may lead to evolution. Without genetic variation, evolutionary change cannot operate.

Answer 6

A mutation is when a DNA is changed. This causes the introduction of new alleles and this in turn increases genetic variation which is good for the environment.

Answer 7

by producing random changes in an organism's genetic code

Answer 8

It just does!!!!